


Beneath The Mask

by feralpossum



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Mentions of Death, More tags to be added, Multi, References to Alcohol, References to Drugs, References to Prostitution, References to Sex, References to Sexual Harassment, Strong Language, Violence, mafia, mentions of abuse, references to blood, references to murder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:55:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29102127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feralpossum/pseuds/feralpossum
Summary: Mark Lee was your average teenager. A recent transfer to South Korea, Mark is a social outcast, loves hip-hop music, and is one poor choice from ending up in Juvie. All he wants to do is make it through high school and live an uneventful life. He's had enough happen to him in the past year, and he just wants to move on from it and never discuss it again.Unfortunately, his plans don't work out as he expects and he gets wrapped up in a plot too convoluted to be anywhere near true. Phantom Thieves? Personas? Stealing Treasure? Changing hearts?Mark didn't expect to become the leader of some ragtag group of teenage thieves (if they could even be called that), taking down some of South Korea's most despicable people.But he should be fine. As long as he doesn't get caught.He won't get caught, of course…...right?(Inspired by the plot of Persona 5)
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Kudos: 5





	Beneath The Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any depictions of people, places, events, ideologies, and phenomenons are meant only as a fictional tale and nothing more. They are not meant to be accurate portrayals of the real life people these characters are based upon, nor are they meant to portray a realistic representation of reality.
> 
> Content in this story may be triggering to some readers. Please review all of the tags carefully before continuing. Reader discretion is advised. Tags will be updated as this story continues, so please be mindful of any new tags that are added. The Author has censored or altered any topics that fall into the Major Four categories of AO3, but were unable to change certain topics outside of that realm due to them being crucial to the story.
> 
> Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time for the trickster to arise…

* * *

"You seem to have gotten yourself in a heap of trouble here, haven't you Mark?"

Mark Lee looked up from the table, blinking at the harsh light that greeted him. He flinched as a sudden pain spread across his jaw, blooming and fading as he cradled it in his hand. Part of him wondered if it would bruise.

Despite the blinding lights, he could still make out the face of the person standing above him.

Lee Taeyong, the Head Prosecutor for the entire city of Seoul. He was one of, if not the most, important people in the Law department of South Korea.

"I'll be honest, I didn't expect it to be you..." Taeyong remarked as he took the seat across from Mark. Mark stayed silent, choosing to rest his head against the table, cradled in his arms. The constant throbbing was giving him a headache that hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced in his life, and the light only made it worse.

He wished he was back home, curled up in his bed and napping the day away while lo-fi played softly out his phone speakers. Back when all he had to worry about was his exams and being a well-behaved kid. Not getting beat up, drugged, and interrogated by the police.

Mark had a moment more of silence before Taeyong spoke again, "We don't have a lot of time, so we need to make this quick. You answer my questions, and I'll try to figure something out for you, alright?"

Mark looked up and nodded slowly before rubbing at the sides of his head with his fingers. _"Damn headache, just go away..."_

Taeyong glanced around the room for a moment before his gaze landed on a syringe under a chair, probably kicked away haphazardly, "Those bastards," He mumbled to himself.

His gaze went to Mark once again, "Mark, are you able to talk? It looks like you've been through a lot today."

Mark once again nodded, "Yeah, I can."

"Alright," Taeyong replied, "Almost anything can happen here while you're in custody. I can't do anything to stop them. That's why I need you to answer me honestly. We don't have a lot of time."

"What was your objective? Why did you cause so many incidents?"

Mark stayed silent.

"I knew this wasn't just a simple prank, but I couldn't assemble a case for the prosecution. I couldn't figure out the method behind it."

"...of course you couldn't."

Taeyong's eyebrow rose, "How so?"

"You've seen the reports, haven't you?" 

"...I have. And I have to admit, I would not have believed that a world like this exists just by reading the reports."

Mark nodded, "It is a bit hard to believe at first, huh?"

"Well, it seems that you're coherent," Taeyong remarked, "If you're ready to begin, then let's start. When and how did you find out about that world? How is it even possible to steal someone else's heart? Tell me your account of everything."

Mark sat back in his chair, "...Oh gosh...where do I even begin?"

"Why don't you start from the very beginning..."

* * *

_*(Six Months Ago)*_

Mark jostled awake as the subway car went around a turn. He blinked away the remnants of sleep as he glanced around the car packed with people, all staying to themselves. Mark adjusted the red beanie on his head and dusted off his baggy button-up shirt as he glanced around the car. Various advertisements hung on the wall, though none of them seemed to catch Mark's attention. Though, nothing seemed to really catch Mark's attention, not even his cellphone. He was lost in his own thoughts, stuck thinking about what-ifs.

He missed Vancouver, he missed his parents, he missed his friends, he just missed everything about home.

It wasn't his idea to come to Busan for school, but his parents had sent him in the hopes that he would get a chance at a high paying job in Seoul.

They hadn't expected him to end up with a criminal record, however.

You see, Mark had encountered something on the way to his host family's house from school one night. A drunk man was harassing a woman and trying to drag her to his car, and Mark couldn't just stand back and let it happen. He ran up and grabbed the drunk man on the shoulder to get his attention.

What it caused instead was the drunk man to fall onto the pavement and smack his head, followed by him threatening to sue and called the police, who didn't think twice before dragging Mark into custody. Mark ended up with an assault and battery charge, though since he was a minor and a foreigner on a Visa, they gave him leniency. He was sent off to Seoul to stay with a family friend on probation. If he could make it to graduation without any problems, they would drop the charges against him and allow him to go home with a clean record. If he got into any more trouble with the law, he'd be getting sent home and immediately put in Juvenile Detention.

Mark knew the stakes were high, but he didn't have much of a choice. He could live an honest life and go to school, stay out of trouble, fly under the radar, and be a good kid for a year until he graduated.

...In theory, at least.

The subway car rolled into the station, as a monotone voice announced the name of the stop. Mark got up from his seat and slung his bag over his shoulder before making his way out of the car, blending in with the crowd of people passing by. He made his way up the stairs and to the street above before ducking down a side alley, pausing for a moment to grab out his phone to get the address of the place he would be staying.

As soon as he pulled out his phone, Mark noticed something odd. A bright red icon was on his home screen, with a black eye design on it. It wasn't something that Mark recognized.

 _"Did I install an app and forget?"_ Mark thought to himself, _"Maybe it's some game I installed to kill time on the subway?"_

Mark swiped it away and off his screen, towards the phone's trash bin. "Ah well, if it's a game then it's of no use now. Better get rid of it so it doesn't take up space."

With that, Mark dismissed the app from his mind. He opened his GPS app and followed the directions that it gave. It took him to the backstreets of a residential area, past sketchy looking stores and grimy houses, to a small café nestled into the side of a building. The words **"Café V"** were written on a sign out front. It was probably one of the nicer buildings in the area, the pale orange paint on the front seemed to be recent, as opposed to the chipping paint on the stores nearby. A small sign sat out front, advertising the day's specials. A planter out in front of the window was overflowing with leafy plants, looking like they had been well taken care of.

Mark pulled the door to the café open and stepped inside, the strong scent of coffee and something savory immediately greeting him. The café wasn't large at all, a few booths were nestled along one wall, while a bar area sat along the other wall. A narrow area separated the front counter from the booths, which led to a staircase and bathroom in the back. An older couple sat in one of the booths, watching the news as they sipped at the last of their coffee. Behind the counter stood a man with styled blonde hair, wiping down equipment. He seemed to pay no attention to the television, which was in the middle of reporting about an accident from the previous day.

**_"Yesterday evening, a public transit bus swerved into oncoming traffic without any warning before crashing into a tree. Miraculously, there were no fatalities. The bus driver was taken into custody but remained unresponsive during their interrogation. Police are currently investigating this incident and are speculating if this incident is connected to the subway accident a few weeks ago. We'll have more information on this story as it unfolds."_ **

"Goodness, how frightening," One of the older people remarked, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Didn't something similar happen just the other day too?" The older woman asked, concern still on her face.

The older man nodded as the person at the counter finished his task and looked up, spotting Mark. 

"Oh right, that was today," He remarked to no one in particular before making his way to the other side of the counter.

The older couple stood up as well, "Well, we've taken up a lot of your time already. The payment is on the table."

Mark stepped aside and held the door open for them as they made their way out, the older woman thanked him as she left. Mark his way back to the other person inside, who was collecting the dishes and money from the table. 

"Four hours for a single cup of coffee..." He mumbled under his breath before making his way to the kitchen and placing the dishes into the sink. He turned around and made his way back to Mark, "I assume that you're Mark Lee?" 

Mark nodded, "Is Qian Kun here?"

"That's me," He replied, "Why don't you grab a seat at the booth over there? I have a few things I need to discuss with you after I clean these dishes."

Mark made his way to one of the booths and sat down as Kun made his way to the kitchen, "Do you want anything? Like a coffee or tea?" Kun asked, "It's on me," he added.

Mark nodded, "Coffee is fine, thank you," he replied, his attention partly on the TV still playing some advertisement. Kun got to work cleaning the dishes, and once they were clean he grabbed one and filled it with coffee. He brought it to Mark and set it in front of him, then slid into the booth across from the teen. Mark snapped out of his gaze and grabbed the coffee.

"Thank you," He said, taking a sip of the hot liquid.

"You're welcome. Now, onto business," Kun began, sitting back in the booth, "I'm not sure how much they told you, but I'm going to be acting as your guardian during your probation. Which means that I'm responsible for you over the next year."

Kun looked over Mark for a moment, "To be honest, I expected you to be a little bit more... Rough..."

Mark only shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. Kun took that as a sign to continue, "No matter, I guess looks aren't everything," He remarked, "I only did this as a favor for your dad, he was the one who recommended I open this place after all, even gave me some of the funds to get it up and running. I owed him big, so taking you in was the least I could do. Though, that doesn't mean that I'll let you slack off on your school or get into trouble."

"I'll stay out of trouble," Mark responded, _"Trust me, I also don't want any more issues,"_ He thought to himself.

Kun smiled, "Good. Because if you break any of the terms of your probation, I will not hesitate to take you to your probation officer personally."

Mark gulped, then mentally noted that he needed to be on his best behavior. He drank the last of the coffee before setting the empty cup on the table. Kun grabbed it and got up, taking the mug to the sink. Mark stood up from the booth, once again grabbing his backpack and slinging the strap over his shoulder.

"Your room is this way," Kun informed, pointing towards the stairs, "Follow me."

Kun led Mark up the stairs and into a dusty attic. Piles of books and dust littered the room, along with random cans of paint, tarps, ladders, space heaters, basically anything that Mark could imagine being in an attic. A small futon bed sat in the corner with a throw blanket and pillow draped over it.

"This is where you're staying," Kun announced, kicking aside a can on the floor, "I know it's cluttered, but I didn't have time to clean it up before you arrived. We have a few days before you start school, so that should be enough time to get this place cleaned up. You're welcome to borrow any of the things up here, just ask before you toss anything out."

Mark shrugged his backpack off of his shoulder and put it onto a nearby table, one that had definitely seen better days. It looked almost identical to the ones downstairs, only scratched and banged up with varnish missing in quite a few spots. 

"I live just down the road, so I'll lock up before I go every night. I'll leave you with my number in case anything happens. I'll be in early each morning, so don't touch anything in downstairs while I'm gone unless you have explicit permission from me."

Mark nodded, then began looking around the room to see what he was working with. _"Maybe I can move the space heaters to that corner, and then drag the books to where the ladder is so I can have the desk for homework?"_

Kun made his way to the stairs and began to make his way down, before stopping and turning around, "Oh Mark," He called out, "Your stuff is in the box over there, it arrived a little while ago. And tomorrow we'll be heading to Byeol Academy to get you enrolled, introduced to the staff, all that. We're leaving by 10am, so be ready by then. If you're up by 8, I'll have breakfast ready for you."

With that, Kun continued down the stairs and left Mark to his own thoughts.

Mark took a good look around the room, eyeing the film of dust over everything. His gaze landed on the box of his things, still sealed and waiting.

_"It looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me, might as well change into something comfortable and get to work,"_ Mark thought to himself. He knelt next to the box and tore it open before rummaging through it, finally finding what he was looking for. An old band shirt, now covered in paint and bleach stains, as well as a pair of gray sweatpants. They were his preferred outfit for weekends when he wasn't trying to do anything except play video games and nap. They were also perfect clothes to do some deep cleaning and organizing in.

Mark changed into the outfit, leaving his previous button-up and jeans on top of the box, which he pushed against the foot of the futon for the time being.

Mark went downstairs and popped his head around the corner, where Kun was wiping down some more equipment. The older man looked up as Mark asked, "Are there any cleaning supplies I can use for my room?"

"Sure," Kun replied, "Check the bathroom over there, there should be some cleaners in there. Just put it back once you're done."

Mark thanked him, then pushed the bathroom door open. Inside was nothing remarkable, just a plain-looking bathroom with a wooden cabinet against the wall. Inside were various bottles of cleaner, a mop, and a bucket, as well as some supplies for the bathroom. Mark examined a few of the bottles before grabbing a few and heading back upstairs, then going back down and grabbing the mop and bucket. He put some water and cleaner into the bucket before hauling it upstairs once more.

With that, Mark got to work. He began moving around piles of items and organizing them as best as he could. He went through piles of books, random supplies, and all sorts of junk, putting it either on one of the empty shelves in the room or placing it in a pile in a corner of the room to toss out later.

Once everything was put away, Mark began the tedious task of scrubbing down all the dust. He mopped and scrubbed everything, sneezing a few times when the dust would fly into his face.

As the sun began to set, filling the room with an orange light, Mark looked out at the room he'd finished cleaning. He had barely made a dent in the mess, but it already looked a lot better than when he started.

"Wow, it looks really good up here. I'm impressed."

Mark turned around to see Kun at the top of the steps, admiring his work. The older nodded, "I just came to let you know that I made you some dinner. I'll be heading out and locking up for the night after that."

Mark nodded and grabbed the bucket before following Kun down the stairs. He dumped the old mop water down the bathroom sink and put all of the supplies back in the cabinet, then walked out and sat at a booth. Kun brought him over a plate full of large dumplings before grabbing his coat.

"I made you some Pork Buns, it's one of my favorite meals."

Mark thanked him and began to dig in, the delicious taste of pork and chopped vegetables dancing across his taste buds. Kun smiled and said his goodbyes before he left, locking the door behind him.

Once Mark finished, he cleaned his plate in the sink and set it out to dry, then turned off the light downstairs. He made his way up to his room and changed into his pajamas, which was another worn band tee and a pair of lounge pants. He left his beanie and clothes from the day in a little wooden basket he'd found while cleaning up earlier, making a mental note to see if there was a place he could wash his clothing at.

Mark laid down on the futon and grabbed his phone, punching in the pass-code and taking him to the home screen. He debated on whether or not to spend the time scrolling through memes on the internet or reading a book online when he noticed something on his phone.

It was the same app that he'd seen when he got off the subway, the black eye design staring back at him. 

_"Didn't I delete this earlier?"_ Mark thought to himself, _"...maybe I just deleted the shortcut and not the actual app. I'll just make sure I get rid of it this time…"_

With that, Mark once again swiped it to his phone's trash can and shut the device off. He was exhausted from the trip he'd taken that day, and all of the cleaning he'd just done. Despite it only just turning dark, Mark was already starting to drift to sleep.

The teen plugged his phone in to charge, then threw the blanket over himself and closed his eyes, letting himself fall asleep. 

* * *

Mark awoke the next morning to the faint sounds of the TV and clatter of dishes. He sat up in his bed and blinked away the last remnants of sleep as he glanced around the room, remembering where he was.

He slipped out of bed and shuffled over to the box with his clothing inside, making a mental note to unpack all of his stuff later. He dug around in the box for a moment before finding what he was looking for. A white t-shirt and black jeans were folded up neatly at the bottom of the box, along with a dark green varsity jacket.

He quickly changed out of his pajamas and into his clothes for the day before folding his last pair of clothes and placing them on his bed. He grabbed his phone off of the charger before heading downstairs.

As soon as Mark got to the bottom, he spotted Kun sipping a cup of coffee and watching the news. The older was also dressed up, a black button-up and slacks made him stand out more than he had yesterday in his coffee-stained white button-up and apron from yesterday. When he was like this, Mark could almost believe he was a model.

Kun gestured to a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs and sausage on the counter before continuing to watch the television, the station rambling about the weather in the area.

Mark sat down at the counter and quickly ate, polishing off his food quickly. He took his time with the coffee, sipping at it and absentmindedly playing on his phone for a bit.

After a moment, Kun took his mug to the sink, along with Mark's dishes left on the counter. He grabbed his keys off of the counter.

"Are you ready to go?" Kun asked. Mark nodded, pushing himself from the chair.

The two exited the café and Kun locked the door behind them, then they made their way to a small car parked next to the building. They both got inside and Kun pulled out, and into the stream of traffic.

The ride was mostly silent, aside from the sounds of the car radio playing some popular girl group song about wanting to know the point of love, or at least that's what Mark thought it meant. He didn't really pay much attention to it. Eventually, the two pulled up in front of a large school. The massive looming building made Mark a little bit nervous as he stepped out of the car and followed Kun inside. Despite it being a Friday, the halls appeared to be empty of students, though if Mark looked he could see students through the windows of the doors as he walked by.

The two made their way to the office, where they met with the Principal. He was a stern, balding man who was definitely a lot older than Mark. He went through the basics of the school and his assignments and gave Mark the same warning he'd been receiving from everyone else. He had to sign paperwork saying that he wouldn't cause any issues and that if he got in trouble he would be expelled immediately.

He was also given his school books and a hefty list of all the reading that needed to be done before Monday when he arrived for class. He also received a few pairs of the school uniform. A black blazer with the school's logo, a star with a cat in front stitched onto the breast pocket, and a pair of black slacks. With that, Mark was dismissed and told to arrive at classes on Monday.

The two left the building and began the drive back to the café in silence, and around halfway there, the road suddenly began to back up with cars. Kun groaned as traffic began to crawl, barely moving.

 **_"And now for the traffic report with Reporter Song. Due to another subway accident, the streets around Highway 205 and Sojourn Avenue will have a flood of traffic. Police are redirecting, so expect slowdowns in those areas or plan an alternative route."_ **The radio announced.

Mark glanced out the window, noticing that they were still crawling through traffic. Kun groaned again.

 **_"-and that's all for the traffic report. Now, onto today's news."_ ** The radio continued on, **_"Another freak accident has occurred, and local officials are searching for answers. A subway driver suddenly lost control of the tram while behind the wheel and ran into a wall at full speed, killing three people. The driver survived the incident."_ **

Mark winced at the news as the announcement continued, **_"When questioned by Police, he was completely unresponsive. Witnesses say he had a glazed look in his eyes, almost like he wasn't all there in the head. Others report that the brakes on many of the cars weren't properly tended to and in need of repairs, but we're also ignored by the transit company. Was this just a freak accident due to carelessness? Or was this in connection with the other incidents?"_ **

Kun turned the station to something else, relaxing in his seat a bit as some ballad began to play, "Ugh. I just wish they'd stop getting into that conspiracy nonsense."

"Conspiracy nonsense?" Mark echoed, looking away from the window.

"There's this weird conspiracy going around," Kun answered, "Apparently some people are randomly going berserk and endangering people. Then when the police arrest them, they know nothing and then they die. People are coming up with all sorts of nonsense."

Mark pondered a moment, "...that is odd…"

"At this point, I've heard everything. I've heard some people say it's a virus that makes you brain dead, other people saying it's just crazy people, some even saying that it's some terrorist plot. I don't know what to think."

**"This just in, traffic on Highway 205 is being redirected through Harris Road and onto Highway 207. The slowdown should be completely clear within the next hour-"**

"Oh thank goodness…" Kun mumbled as he turned down the radio. The flow of cars began to speed up as they were directed away, and soon they were back at the café.

"There we go, only an hour and a half later than intended…" Kun remarked, shutting off his car and making his way inside the café. Mark followed close behind.

Kun threw on his apron and stepped behind the counter, "I usually have quite a few customers after school lets out, so I'll be down here working until six. You're more than welcome to stay down here and get a head start on any reading you have to do. The booth in the corner over there is rarely used," He suggested, pointing to a booth in the far corner near the door, "Or, you can do whatever upstairs, your choice," Kun added.

Mark set his bag on the table, "I should probably get a head start on studying," he decided, "Just let me go get changed first."

Mark went upstairs and changed into a pair of sweatpants and ditched the jacket before putting his beanie on his head and grabbing his earbuds. He went back downstairs and slid into the booth as Kun began prepping his station.

Mark slipped the earbuds in and began to play an Instrumental playlist he kept for studying and grabbed a book from his bag. **Korean History: 3rd Revision** was the name on the front cover, with a few pictures of artifacts and drawings from history accompanying it. A sticky note with a cat on the front had the words " _Assignment: Read pages 1-28 and answer study questions on separate paper."_

Mark got to work, focusing on his reading and answering questions. He did it for the next assignment, which was basically just a bunch of pages of Algebra problems. 

He was in the middle of working on his Korean homework when he was interrupted. Someone waved their hand in front of him, which snapped him out of his studies. A boy, most likely no older than Mark, stood in front of him. The boy had dark red hair and a red gym bag slung over his shoulder. He wore a white button-up with a black blazer over it, identical to the one that Mark had been given hours before.

"Sorry to interrupt you, but do you mind if I sit here?" The red-haired boy asked, "All the other seats are full and I was hoping that I could get some studying done."

Mark glanced around the cafe, noticing that the room had filled up with students all studying. He nodded, "Yeah sure," Mark replied, already moving his books closer so the other could sit down.

The red-haired boy slid into the booth and set his bag down on the chair before digging out a book and placing it on the table. It was the exact same Korean textbook Mark was using.

"Are you attending Byeol Academy?" Mark suddenly asked. 

The boy looked up, "Uhh… yeah… It's my fourth year there." He responded, glancing at Mark's textbook, "Wait, are you also attending?"

Mark nodded, "Yeah, I just transferred. I'm Mark, I'm also in year four."

"I'm Jeno," the red-haired boy introduced.

Mark and Jeno spent most of the time chatting about the school, the teachers, and Jeno even helped him catch up on the assignments he was given. Mark discovered Jeno was a year younger than him but was a grade ahead of all the other kids his age. He was also one of the star gymnasts in the Academy's Sports program.

They had spent so much time talking that Mark hadn't even realized how late it had gotten. It wasn't until Kun came over to inform them that the café was closing that Mark noticed it was almost 7pm.

"Maybe we could hang out tomorrow? That way you have a friend by the time you start school on Monday?" Jeno asked, "It's nice to have someone there that you can be with. Byeol is nice and all, but sometimes the students can be a little… cliquey…"

Mark nodded, already relieved at the thought of having someone to call a friend, "Sure, let me give you my number and we can arrange a time to hang out?"

The two exchanged numbers as Jeno packed the last of his things, then he left the store.

"I'm glad to see you've already made a friend," Kun remarked as he slid off his apron.

Mark nodded, "Yeah. Me too."

Kun smiled as he grabbed his keys off of the counter, then began to head for the door, "Alright. I'm headed out for the night. I'll lock up behind me. Dinner is on the counter, I made you some tteokbokki."

Mark said his goodbyes and Kun left, leaving the teen alone once again for the night. He grabbed his dinner and sat down at a booth, eating it all pretty quickly. He put his plate in the sink and gathered his stuff before shutting off the light and heading upstairs. Mark changed into his pajamas and crawled onto the futon. He grabbed his phone to plug it in and began to absentmindedly flip through his apps before noticing something.

It was the app again, the red icon with the black eye design. The one Mark knew he had deleted.

 _"What gives? I know I deleted this app twice already. Did it just not register as deleted? Is it a spam app?"_ Mark thought to himself.

Mark did a quick internet search for _"how do I get rid of an app on my smartphone that keeps coming back?"_ with varied results. He finally got an answer that might be the solution to his problems. An internet forum with a section dedicated to applications had recommended trying to deleting the app, then wipe the recycle bin folder from his phone, and then if it still is there to restart the device.

Mark tried what they recommended, and it didn't work. He rebooted the phone, and the app still was there.

Finally, in a last-ditch effort, one comment on the forum had recommended that if those steps didn't work, there were two options. One was to completely reset the phone so that it restored it to Factory Defaults, which would wipe everything including the app off the device. The other option was to take it to a specialist to see what they could do. Mark sighed and shut off his phone for the night, thinking through what else he could do. He didn't want to just wipe his cellphone of all its information, nor did he want to pay for a specialist.

A sudden wave of exhaustion crashed over Mark as he shut off his phone screen. The teen let out a large yawn before setting his phone down and tossing the blanket over himself. He quickly let unconsciousness take him as the world faded into black.

* * *

Mark awoke, though not in the attic of the café like he expected to, nor was it in his host family's house in Busan, or his bedroom in Vancouver.

It was a cement room, one that was dark and cold. A blue light shone into the room, making shadows dance around the walls. The faint sounds of something could be heard as well, but Mark couldn't figure out what it was. Music, maybe? 

Mark sat on the bunk for a moment more, trying to figure out where he was before a voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Get up, inmate!"

Mark shot up from his bunk to be greeted with a set of iron bars. They were almost comical in the way they looked, reminding Mark of a jail cell as it would have in a cartoon. 

Mark looked down to see that he was wearing a black and white striped shirt and pants as well, almost like a jail inmate's outfit from a cartoon as well. Part of him wondered if he was dreaming this all up.

_"Maybe I'm having weird dreams cause I ate something? I know apple juice can cause lucid dreaming, did I have apple juice before bed or something?"_

"Hey, inmate! I'm talking to you!"

Mark glanced out past the bars to see a little boy standing there, glaring at Mark. He couldn't have been older than 10, at least as far as Mark could tell. His blonde and brown hair had been swept back from his head. He wore a blue button-up top with black slacks and a tie, and he looked as if he meant business.

"You're keeping the master waiting," he snapped, "The master does not like to be kept waiting."

"Huh?" Mark wondered aloud.

Just then, another boy arrived at the front of the iron bars as well. He was almost identical to the first boy, only his hair was platinum blonde and longer, his bangs falling into his eyes.

Mark found himself being stared down by the two children, slightly intimidated by their unwavering gaze. _"Do they even blink? I don't think they've blinked once. That's so creepy, they still haven't blinked. Is this like in the Shining or something? Am I gonna get attacked by these little Shining copycat gremlin children?"_

As Mark's thoughts ran wild, and he tried to figure out whether or not these children actually could blink, a low chuckle echoed through the room.

"It appears the trickster has arrived…"

Mark's gaze snapped up, past the two children, to a man much older than the two who stood in front of him. He was hunched over a desk, scribbling away at some book. 

The first thing that Mark noticed was that this person was short, like really short. Shorter than Mark was, even. Which was difficult to do.

The second thing he noticed was that this person was incredibly attractive, like, Mark could swear that this person could easily be on the cover of Vogue or Elle or some sort of fashion magazine. His short silver hair was swept back, and he wore a sparkly silver shirt that reflected the minimal light from it, almost giving him an ethereal look. He probably could say he was a god and Mark would not be surprised in the slightest.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Trickster."

"Trickster?" Mark asked, pushing himself off of the bed. He stood in front of the bars to get a good glance at his surroundings.

At the center of the round room in front of him, the person that Mark referred to mentally as "Vogue Model Guy" was sitting at a desk. A book sat in front of him, all covered in various scribbles. The walls of it were lined with a shiny blue velvet, which reflected the minimal light off of it. Along the circular walls were more entrances to cells, though these ones were completely empty. It seemed as if Mark was the only prisoner…

"That is you. You are called Trickster because your existence is a trick. Humans see one side of you and make assumptions, ones that are very different from who you are." Model person replied.

Mark blinked for a moment, confused and unsure how to answer, "...so… how exactly did I get here?"

Model chuckled once again, "You didn't 'get here' per se, your physical form is still where you left it. Only your spiritual form was transported," He explained, "Essentially, it's a dream."

Mark blinked, "...so… this isn't real?"

"This is all as real as you or I are," Model countered, "This space is between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a contract can enter."

Mark was still confused as to what this all meant, and cartoon man wasn't helping clarify anything that would be useful.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Model continued, "I am Ten, master of this place. Remember it well."

Mark still didn't totally understand, "Alright, Ten. What do you want?"

Ten straightened a bit in his chair, "I summoned you here to speak of important matters. They involve your life as well."

"Important matters?" Mark asked.

"Silence inmate! The master is speaking to you!" The brown-haired child snapped, his voice full of venom. Mark almost fell backward from the startle he'd gotten.

"It's alright, Leon," Ten calmly stated, "Prisoners are allowed to ask questions."

The child, who Ten had referred to as Leon, huffed and remained silent. Mark took that as his queue to speak again.

"So... Why am I in a prison?" Mark asked.

Ten sat back down at the desk and glanced around the room, "I'm not sure, this actually wasn't my design choice. It was yours."

Mark's eyebrow rose, "Mine?"

"The Velvet Room reflects the state of your heart and mimics it here. For example, I've had a Velvet Room be a limousine because its owner was a human with an outlook on life that reflected wealth and status. And another had a Velvet Room that was an elevator, to reflect that life felt like an endless and uneventful ride," Ten explained, then let out a chuckle, "I once had a Velvet Room that was a strip club, now that one was awkward…"

Mark paused for a moment, absorbing this information, "So what does it mean that mine is a prison?"

"Well," Ten began, pausing for a moment to consider the information, "It means that you feel trapped, you feel like your freedoms have been taken, and that you're guilty of some crime. So the Velvet Room is reflecting it and making it into a jail cell. It truly makes you a prisoner of fate, in a way."

"Prisoner of fate?" Mark echoed, "What does that mean?"

Ten shook his head, "That is something that I cannot explain at this time. However, I do know this. There is no mistake that ruin shall await you in the future."

"Ruin?!" Mark shouted, panic started gripping at him.

"Relax, trickster," Ten assured, "There are ways to oppose this fate. It is not set in stone."

Mark relaxed a little at that, relief spreading through him that this could be prevented, "...How exactly do I do that?"

"Rehabilitation."

Mark was once again confused.

"Do you have the resolve to stand up against injustice? Against the distortion of humanity?"

Mark paused a moment, then nodded, "I guess I do, yeah."

"Good. In that case, allow me to help guide you on your journey to rehabilitation," Ten responded, then glanced at the two boys standing next to Mark's cell, "Allow me to introduce you to my assistants as well. To your left is Leon, and to your right is Louis."

The two looked at Mark and nodded, and Mark nodded back.

"They will assist you in the rehabilitation process, and keep track of you. If you need assistance, they can handle almost anything."

Mark nodded as Ten continued, "Our time runs short, and I need to prepare before we can begin your rehabilitation. I will explain everything to you at a later date."

The room suddenly began to fade away, along with Louis and Leon, until only Ten and Mark remained in the darkness.

"We will meet again, surely," Was all that Ten said before the last of the dream faded into darkness.

* * *

Mark's eyes snapped open as he sat up in bed, wondering what the hell had just happened. His dream about the Velvet Room was still fresh in his mind.

 _"That was such a weird dream,"_ Mark thought to himself, _"But something about it seemed so real..."_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of " **_Pi pi pi pi pi!_ **" coming from his phone. Mark grabbed it and turned on the screen, already spotting a notification from Jeno on his lock screen.

" **Jeno: Hey Mark, are you awake?**

**Jeno: Do you wanna hang out today?**

**Jeno: I was planning on getting some breakfast and checking out this new store in the shopping district if you want to come along.** "

Mark smiled as he typed his response, incredibly grateful that he already made a considerate friend.

" **Mark: sure, just need to get dressed. where do you wanna meet up?"**

Mark set down his cell phone and crossed the room to grab his outfit for the day. **_"Pi pi pi!"_ ** Mark's phone chimed as he dug through his stuff. The teen chose to leave the messages until after he got dressed. He grabbed a fluffy gray sweater from his stuff, along with a pair of ripped skinny jeans, and quickly changed. He grabbed his phone off the bed and checked the messages again.

" **Jeno: how about at Cafe V? I can meet you there and we can head into town from there?** "

" **Mark: sounds good to me. see you then** "

Mark pocketed his phone and grabbed his bag and wallet before heading downstairs. Kun was already at the counter, mopping behind the counter.

"Hello, Mark!" Kun called out as Mark stepped in, "You look nice today."

"Thank you," Mark responded as he took a seat at the counter and grabbed his phone out of his pocket, "I'm going to go into town with a friend today, is that alright?"

Kun paused and thought for a moment before responding, "I don't see why not, just don't get in any trouble and be back before 4:30."

Mark nodded as his phone chimed again, **_"Pi pi pi!_ **" It was another text from Jeno.

" **Jeno: On my way! I should be there in about a few minutes.** "

Mark sent a thumbs up in response before pocketing his phone once again. He looked over to the TV mounted on the wall, which was playing some news station, and zoned out for a moment. It was only a few minutes later that the bell to the front door chimed and Jeno stepped inside.

He wore a gray graphic t-shirt with some graffiti design all along the front, along with a pair of tight-fitting black pants. A black jean jacket completed the look, giving him almost heart-breaker vibes. Though, as soon as Jeno smiled, the vibe almost completely disappeared.

"Hi, Mark!" Jeno waved before crossing the room to meet with the other, "I didn't expect you to be here yet, hopefully, I didn't make you wait too long."

"You're fine," Mark responded, "It was only a few minutes."

Jeno nodded, "Alright, if you say so."

Mark waved goodbye to Kun before the two left and made their way to the subway. They chatted the entire time about the school, the students, and anything else they could think of while they waited for the car to arrive.

"So," Jeno began after a pause in their conversation, "Is the guy at the coffee shop your dad, or…?"

Mark laughed, "Nah, he's not my dad. He's just a family friend," He explained, "And my guardian for the time being."

"Ohhhh… I was thinking that he looked a little too young to be your dad..." Jeno responded.

"Yeah, it's a long story. My parents are both still in Canada, but I'm here on a-” Mark was interrupted by the arrival of the subway car, * “I’ll explain later."

The two got onto the car and rode into the city mostly in silence, other than the occasional meme that Jeno would show Mark on his phone.

Once they arrived, Jeno led Mark deep into the city, through crowded city streets and side alleys until the two arrived at a small American style diner. Once they were seated, the two looked over a menu and decided on what to order.

"Go ahead and order whatever you want, it's on me," Jeno informed the other as he set down his menu.

Mark looked up from his menu, "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure," Jeno responded, "I just won a gymnast competition last week and ended up with way more Won than I know what to do with."

Mark didn't fight it. If Jeno wanted to pay for his breakfast, then he'd happily accept it.

The waiter soon arrived at the table and took their orders, before leaving and bringing them drinks. Mark stuck with water, while Jeno had chocolate milk.

"So," Jeno started before taking a sip of his milk, "How did you end up in Korea?"

"Well, it's a long story..."

"We have a while, this place is kind of slow when it comes to getting food, the kitchen staff is kind of slow."

"Well..."

Mark didn't like to just give out his entire life story to people he barely knew, but something about the way Jeno listened made him want to tell the other everything. And so that's what he did.

Not once did Jeno seem judgmental or disgusted by what Mark did or his criminal record. In fact, he seemed to actually side with Mark, which was something that not a lot of people did.

"Wait, you're telling me that they arrested you? Not the guy who was being a creep?" Mark nodded, "That's so messed up," Jeno remarked.

Mark shrugged, "It is, but even if I knew the outcome I'd still have done it."

"I don't blame you," Jeno responded, "I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes."

Their conversation was interrupted by the waiter returning with their food, and they quickly began to eat. Mark hadn't ordered a lot of food, just some eggs, a bagel, and sausage. Though he only could stare on in a mix of bewilderment and mild horror as Jeno's food had been brought out. Mark hadn't really paid attention to the other's order, but now he wished he had.

Jeno probably had one of everything on the menu, and that wasn't an understatement. He had about four plates overflowing with food. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, a cinnamon roll, fried potatoes, waffles, and fruit were only a few of the things could spot on the plates.

"Uhh..." Was all that Mark could get out as Jeno began to dig into a plate of pancakes.

"What?" He asked around a mouthful of pancakes.

Mark blinked for a moment, before shaking his head and grabbing his bagel, "How do you even eat all of that?"

Jeno looked at the other for a moment, then went back to his food, "Well, I'm a gymnast," He explained before finishing off the last of the pancakes, "I'm also a teenage boy, I'm still going through puberty, I have a high metabolism, and I also burn a lot of calories."

Mark only nodded as Jeno went on, "I'm usually on this crazy diet of nuts, fruits, fish, stuff like that, during the competition season. But my last meet for the season was last weekend, so I'm allowed to cheat and eat stuff like grains."

The two ate breakfast as Mark asked Jeno a bit about his career in gymnastics. The two eventually finished and Jeno paid before they left.

The two spent their time wandering through the city, admiring the stores and people milling about. The bustle of the city was something that Mark loved, especially in Seoul. Even on a Saturday, it seemed like the bustle still continued.

Despite the bustle, Mark and Jeno were able to get into quite a few stores. Mark got himself a book to read on the tram ride to school on Monday, along with a couple of bags of his favorite chips that had been imported from Canada.

Eventually, it was time for Mark to return to the café. The two made their way to the subway station and said their goodbyes before Mark boarded the tram. Jeno had decided to stay in town for a bit longer in search of a camera part he needed, and Mark needed to return to the café before Kun freaked out.

Mark returned to the café right before 4:30, and as soon as he stepped inside Kun looked up at him relieved.

"There you are, glad to see you back on time," He remarked, "How was it?"

"It was fun, a little busy though."

"That's to be expected on a weekend though. It's always busy."

Mark nodded, then began heading towards the stairs, "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

"Alright, I'm just getting everything ready to close. I should be out of here by 5," Kun responded, resuming to get everything cleaned up.

Mark went up the stairs and into the attic, choosing to change into his pajamas. It was unlikely that he would go downstairs before Kun closed for the night, so he decided to get comfortable and enjoy what was left of his Saturday.

He popped open one of the bags of chips and grabbed his phone, choosing to watch videos on his phone and snack. He went on a video spree, watching some gaming videos for a while before glancing at the clock and noticing it was already 10:45pm.

 _"Is it already that late?"_ Mark wondered to himself as he shut off his phone. He stood and dusted the crumbs of the chips off of himself before tossing the empty bag in the wastebasket and crawling into bed.

* * *

It was the last day before Mark started his first day at Byeol Academy, and he decided to spend it getting caught up on the last of his schoolwork. He mostly sat in the booth in the corner of the room and read or worked on schoolwork, occasionally pausing to eat something Kun made for him or to use the bathroom. 

It was a slow day for the café, meaning that Mark was allowed to study downstairs. Kun appreciated the company, and Mark got the occasional cup of coffee when Kun had to throw out a batch that had been out for too long.

Mark was able to finish his work before three, so he decided to throw on a pair of clothing and explore the area with Kun's permission. He decided to go with something casual, picking a band tee and jeans along with his beanie. He made a mental note to ask Kun about where he could wash his laundry later on, as he began to amass a pile of clothing that needed to be cleaned.

The teen went out and began exploring the area. He only had been to the station and to the café, and he was curious to see what this area contained in it.

It was only a residential area, so there were mostly houses and apartments around, but Mark soon stumbled across a laundromat down the street from the café, along with a bathhouse. There was also a secondhand shop that sold a lot of old items, like DVD Players and even a few really old video game consoles. Mark made a mental note to return later on.

Once Mark had felt like he'd seen everything, he decided to head back. He'd been out and exploring for a couple of hours, and the sun was already starting to set. 

On the way back, Mark spotted a small Ramen restaurant just a few streets from the café. He decided to pick up something for himself so that Kun wouldn't need to worry about dinner. He got each of them a bowl of Pork Ramen and made his way back home to the café. Kun was wrapping up the last of his cleaning, and he glanced up at Mark as he came in.

"Oh good, you're back. I thought I was going to have to go looking for you," Kun remarked.

"Sorry, I lost track of time," Mark responded, "I went exploring and got us dinner."

Kun put down the rag he was using, "Really?"

Mark nodded and unpacked the containers from the bag, "Yeah, there was a noodle shop a few streets away that I wanted to try, and I figured I'd get something for you too."

"Aww, you didn't have to do that, but thank you," Kun responded as he sat down at the booth. Mark joined him shortly afterward.

The two enjoyed their ramen together and chatted, mostly about Mark starting school and about the coffee business. Their discussion went long past the time that it took to finish their food. By the time that one of them noticed the time, it was already almost 7:30 in the evening.

"Oh no, is it this late already?" Kun asked, pushing himself out of his chair, "I should really get home."

Mark offered to clean up the table from dinner and Kun quickly thanked him before heading out, locking the door behind him.

Mark cleaned up the last of their dinner and shut off the light, plunging the café into darkness. He climbed the stairs to his bed and quickly changed into his pajamas before climbing into bed. He knew that he should probably go to bed early because of school the next morning, but it was still early and he didn't really feel tired. He decided to play on his phone until he felt tired, which was exactly what he did. He scrolled through various apps, playing games and reading posts on social media, and waited for the pull of sleep to come.

Eventually, Mark's eyelids began to feel heavy and he began to feel seep dragging at him. He shut off his phone and plugged it in before letting out a yawn and stretching out his arms above him.

As he curled up in bed, he began to think through everything he had to do tomorrow, " _So tomorrow, I need to get to the station at least an hour before I'm supposed to be at school, and I need to get there at least 15 minutes early so I can make sure I get to class on time, and-"_

As Mark thought, exhaustion began to pull at him even more until he finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've done an NCT fic, and this was my first time publishing a NCT Fic that wasn't a chatfic.
> 
> It's sort of been a while since I last published anything really, I've been struggling a lot with things outside of writing and the internet, and it's made writing fics really difficult to do. It hasn't been all bad though, since I now have a job after losing my last one to the pandemic. And I also did a Social Media purge, which also feels good.
> 
> One thing I started was playing video games with my sister, and we recently started Persona 5 Royal together. While we were playing, I had this idea for an AU of Persona 5 but with NCT Dream as the protagonists. We both plotted out this AU while we were playing, and I've been working on this story when my insomnia would get bad. This was the result!
> 
> Special thanks to [@aurasparrowmist](https://twitter.com/aurasparrowmist) on Twitter for her help with this fic, specifically with how to write for Mark and some of the other characters! 💜


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